Isaiah 56:3, commentary and pictures

Neither the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord is to say that he is cut off from God's people, nor the eunuch to regard himself as fruitless, barren and without worth, hope or lasting place among them. To such faithful eunuchs God gives in His house a place and an everlasting name better than sons and daughters that shall not be cut off, and such strangers He brings to His holy mountain, makes joyful in His house of prayer, and accepts their offerings, for His house shall be a house of prayer for all people. This welcome belongs to those who do justice and judgment, keep the Sabbaths from polluting them, keep the hand from evil, choose what pleases Him, serve Him and love His name, and hold fast His covenant. It stands where salvation is near to come and righteousness to be revealed, and strangers and converts from other nations who yield themselves to God and keep His law are numbered among spiritual Israel and may fully unite with His people. It is a message for the present to be given without delay to all who thirst and to those who have not yet heard, and it comforts those who might feel excluded, including the childless and those suffering hardship for loyalty to the truth, who may still serve as missionaries in caring for and teaching others.

Outsiders Welcomed Into Worship

Neither is the foreigner who has bound himself to the Lord to speak as if the Lord has wholly separated him and cut him off from His people. Such a one is not shut out and not excluded, but is assured of belonging among God's people. Nor is the eunuch to speak as if he were a dry tree. That means he is not to count himself fruitless, barren, useless, without worth, without hope, without future, or without lasting place among God's people, and want of children and descendants does not deny his belonging. He is not fruitless or without a future in God's service, but has hope and a part in God's purposes.

This welcome rests on joining the Lord in obedient covenant life. It is for those who keep God's Sabbaths and keep them from pollution, who choose the things that please Him, who take hold of and hold fast His covenant, who serve Him and love His name, who do justice and judgment, and who keep the hand from doing any evil. Sabbath keeping, choosing what pleases God, and holding fast the covenant are compatible with full belonging to His people. To the eunuchs who so keep, choose, and hold, God gives in His house and within His walls a place and an everlasting, enduring name. That name is better than sons and daughters could give, better than children, and it shall not be cut off.

To the sons of the stranger who so serve and love the Lord and keep the Sabbath, God brings them to His holy mountain. There He makes them joyful in His house of prayer and accepts their burnt offerings and sacrifices upon His altar. For His house shall be called a house of prayer for all people. As He gathers the outcasts of Israel, so He gathers others besides those already gathered, welcoming them into worship.

Salvation Near for All

The refusal to let the joined stranger fear utter separation and the refusal to let the eunuch call himself a dry tree stand inside the call to keep justice and do judgment because salvation is near to come and righteousness to be revealed. Blessing rests on the man and the son of man who lays hold on that near salvation by keeping judgment and doing justice, by keeping the Sabbath from polluting it and keeping the hand from doing any evil. The same blessing rests on those who keep God's Sabbaths, choose the things that please Him, and take hold of His covenant, whether eunuchs who are promised in His house and within His walls a place and an everlasting name better than sons and daughters that shall not be cut off, or sons of the stranger who join themselves to the Lord to serve Him and love His name and are brought to His holy mountain to be made joyful in His house of prayer with offerings accepted on His altar, for His house shall be called a house of prayer for all people as He who gathers the outcasts of Israel gathers others besides those gathered.

Strangers from other nations who join themselves to the Lord are not to think that God has separated them from His people. When such converts from heathen nations yield themselves to God and keep and observe His law, they are numbered among spiritual Israel, His church on earth. In that numbering they may fully unite with God's people.

The passage sets forth two parties and presses the hearer to belong to the party assured by God's Word of His love.

Present Mission and Comfort

The chapter is a message for the present time and for personal experience now, pressing what needs to be done in right lines because time is passing rapidly. It is to be given without delay to all who thirst without money and without price and to people who have not yet heard the glad tidings of salvation. The urgency rests on the nearness of worldwide trouble and persecution over proclaiming the truth, which are right upon us.

The larger section of Isaiah 50-58 is to be studied by leaders in the cause and by those connected with institutions. In that setting the verse carries the Lord's reproof for disregard of the light given, for accepting only what men choose to accept without thorough consecration to God. It also reproves neglect by those in high positions and great responsibilities who had great light to warn the people what is truth. Heeding it by stopping all complaining and every evil work brings a manifestation of divine power in conviction and conversion of souls.

The verse calls God's people and workers to cooperate with Him in the great work to be done by the institutions established by His direction. Not one worker is to be spared or separated, but all are to be drawn together in even cords in humble harmony to recover others. He is dishonored when human principles with no sanction in His Word rule, when self and pride of opinion rule and give the enemy room to hinder the work.

The verse comforts and encourages all who might think themselves excluded, assuring the stranger joined to the Lord that he is not cut off from God's people and the eunuch that he is not a fruitless dry tree without worth, hope, or lasting place. The chapter is to be read as relevant to caring for people loyal to God who suffer hardship for the truth, presenting an open door to meet with God and seek Him. A woman who does not take a child into her care need not feel condemned, since God may have other work for her in teaching those who do not know Him to do His will. Those who might have felt excluded can serve as missionaries caring for and educating children in their homes. This is the grand and noble work of faithful shepherds and guardians of the flock, sharing their homes with orphan children left by Sabbathkeeping parents and laboring as co-laborers with Christ to educate struggling, ignorant, and poor souls rather than voluntarily tying their hands by the care of an infant.